Sakura's Heartwarming White Day
by Daniel Song
Summary: It’s a memorable White Day for Sakura, as Yukito and Syaoran both do their best to make it a special day for her…
1. Part I

Summary:  It's a memorable White Day for Sakura, as Yukito and Syaoran both do their best to make it a special day for her…

Background:     In Japan, Valentine's Day is celebrated differently than in America.  Valentine's Day in Japan is a day for girls to give gifts to the boys they like.  White Day is the day where the boys reciprocate, giving gifts to the girls they like.

Note: this story is the Card Captor Sakura version of a CardCaptors story I wrote, titled "Forever".  I believe this is the superior version, but you're welcome to read the dub version if you like.  I even included some bonus material at the end: an explanation of how the dub was created.  (Or is that the other way around?  I did write the dub version first, after all…)

All reviews are welcomed with open arms, including flames!  Bring it on!

March 10, March 11, March 12.  Thursday.  That meant just two more days.  Two more days until Saturday, which was cause for celebration by itself.  But not just any Saturday, but a _special_ Saturday – White Day.

For as long as she could remember, White Day had been one of her favorite days of the year.  Oh, she knew what White Day was _supposed_ to be about – a day when a man gave gifts to the woman he loved.  But her family had always done things differently, and their way was so much better… a way to create and share memories with everyone you loved, and not just one person…

Take last year, for example.  Her father had somehow found a way to get a day off, and spend the entire afternoon making chocolates, as well as a fancy home-cooked meal for the entire family, and of course, their special guest.  Ah, the memories...

_"Sakura, you're eating WAY too much chocolate.  Stuffing them in your mouth like a kaijuu."_

_"I am NOT a kaijuu!"_

_"To-ya, stop picking on your sister."  "These chocolates are very good, Mr. Kinomoto."_

_"Yeah, a lot better than the ones mother used to make, remember those?"_

_"TOUYA!"___

_"Ow!  Why did you do that for?"_

OK, so maybe things didn't go as smoothly as she would have liked.  And it was a pain getting up for school the next day – they really ought to ban school on Saturdays.  But did that matter?  It had been a special day, one that would never fail to bring a smile to her face.  A time to celebrate with the people she loved.  Fujitaka, her dad.  Touya, her mean old brother.  Their special guest, Yukito; her brother's best friend – who visited so often, he was practically part of the family.  There was only one person missing from the circle: Nadeshiko, her mom.  But her dad assured her that she would always there in spirit, watching from heaven… and if they put a picture of her on the table, maybe that meant that she was there, also…

This year.  What were they going to do?  Each year, it was something different.  She wondered what other people did on White Day; maybe she could get some ideas from them.  Hey!  Maybe Kero knew.  He must have spent many White Days with his master, Clow Reed.  Although, she wondered if magical creatures celebrated them the same way humans did.  Well, it wouldn't hurt to ask, in any case.

"Kero!" Sakura called, as she opened the drawer.

"Not so loud.  Do you want everyone to hear?" Kero whined.

"Sorry.  I just wanted to ask you something.  Did your master do anything special for White Day?"

Kero didn't look too pleased – waken up from his sleep, just for _that_?  Gees.  "What is that?  I've never heard of it."

"Well, it's sort of like Valentine's day – except it's a little different."

"Hmm," Kero pondered as he scratched his chin, "I think I remember Valentine's day.  We never did much of anything, though – "

There was knocking at the door.  "Quiet!  Someone's coming!" Sakura warned, as she quickly slammed the drawer shut.

"Hey, come on down.  It's time for dinner." She recognized her brother's voice right away – and for once, he didn't call her kaijuu, or accuse her of talking to herself, or look through her things.  For that she was glad.

Dinner was mostly uneventful.  Touya seemed to be unusually _nice_ to her, for a change.  As for dad, he had his usual cheerful look, but didn't say very much, either.  Well.  Someone had to say _something_, right?  So she might as well say something that had been on her mind for some time…

"Dad?  Are we doing something for White Day this year?"

Wrong question.  She knew it by that look.  The look Touya had when something didn't go his way.

"No, Sakura.  I have to work all day," Touya sighed.

That's right.  He would be making deliveries for a flower shop – that was his latest part-time job.  And White Day figured to be one of the worst days of the year.  He wouldn't be home until close to midnight, if not later.

"Dad?"

"I'm really sorry, Sakura, but Saturday is a bad day for me.  I won't be home until around 8.  Tell you what.  Maybe we can do something on Sunday."

"But – but… that just wouldn't be the same!  It just won't be the same…" Sakura pouted, putting her chin on the table.

"Look.  Yukito will be picking you up after school.  Saturday's just not a good day.  We'll do something on Sunday, all right?" Fujitaka's voice was a little firmer this time.  But wait, an idea came to his head.  Since Yukito was supposed to watch over her anyway – hmm.  Maybe things would work out after all.  He glanced over at Touya, who raised his eyebrows in response – that meant he approved.  Good.

"Maybe we can ask Yukito to take you some place after school, if that's all right with you."

Hmm.  That wouldn't be too bad.  Wait a minute… this was an opportunity she had been dreaming about for some time, and all she could say was _it wouldn't be too bad_?  How about… "YEAH!  That would be great!  Can I call him, please?"

"Sounds like _someone_ had a little too much pudding.  Dad?  How much sugar _did _you put into it?"

"Touya!" She shouted, stomping her foot on the ground.  Dang, she missed his foot.  Grrr… she wouldn't miss next time.

"Please, knock it off, both of you," Fujitaka admonished.  How did he maintain that perfect little smile on his face, anyway?  "Go ahead and call him, if you want."

"Yay!" she cried, as she jumped up and ran to her room.  This was going to be a White Day to remember after all… and she couldn't wait to tell Kero.

Sakura ran inside and slammed the door behind her, bending over to catch her breath.  Her body was practically melting into the ground now, as she mouthed, "Yu-ki-to…"

"Yeah, what about him?" Kero asked.

"Yukito… White Day… it's going to be the best White Day ever."

Kero flew over and waved his paw in front of Sakura's face.  "Sakura, get a hold of yourself.  Why are you getting so worked up?  It's not like it has anything to do with Clow Cards."

"Maybe you'll understand some day… Ooh!" she squealed, holding her reddening cheeks.

"I'm afraid not, Sakura.  I just don't think I was created that way."

"That reminds me, though… I wonder what Li-kun is doing for White Day."

"_Him_?"  She sure knew how to pick out a sore spot.

"It must be hard for him, being away from home."

"I wouldn't worry about him.  Besides, he has that cousin of his to keep him company."

Meiling.  That's right.  But still… "Yes, but they're still away from family." It was partially true.  Li was currently living in a small apartment with a distant relative of his, Wei, while Meiling was living in a nearby home with her mother.  But, there was that sense you got, that empty feeling you had, when you were away from people that were important to you… she made up her mind.  It would be a special White Day, after all – only this way, it might be a special one for four people, and not just two.

"I wonder if it's okay with Yukito.  I better let him know."

"Know what?"

"I'm thinking of inviting Li-kun and Meiling-chan."

Kero didn't like that idea one bit.  On the other hand, the alternative was to have her fawn over Yukito all day and make a fool out of herself.  "Hmmph," Kero grunted.

That was as close to an approval she was going to get, so she picked up her phone to call Yukito.  Yukito… _Yu-ki-to_… 

_Tah__ – tah – tah – tah – tah – _

"Uh, Sakura, shouldn't you call him?" Kero pointed out.

"Oops," she blushed, and pushed the reset button on her phone before making the call.


	2. Part II

Today was going to be a good day.

For once, she had gotten up in time – she was going to make it to school with time to spare.  And once she got there, she would invite both Syaoran and Meiling, and along with Yukito, enjoy the best White Day ever… she felt so excited, she felt she could fly…

Of course, it's one thing to _dream_ about flying; it's quite another to have it become reality.  And when it happens while rollerblading at breakneck speed – that wouldn't be too good, would it?

Fortunately Sakura managed to break her fall.  She'd have to get her school uniform washed when she got home, and remove some gravel pits from her hands – but that was all.  She had been lucky.  On the other hand... _"You're such a clutz, Sakura!  One of these days, you should actually learn how to rollerblade."_  Argh… her brother could be so irritating, even when he wasn't there.

Forget about that.  Today was going to be a good day, right?  See?  She had made it to school on time, a good fifteen minutes before class started.  And Syaoran was right there – but where was Meiling?  That was strange.  Those two usually stuck to each other like glue; it was hard to see one without the other.  Oh well.  She might as well talk Syaoran now, and look for Meiling later.

She waved her hand at Syaoran, and walked up to him – and he likewise approached her.  They got a little too close, though, so she nervously backed up a step, before asking,

"Li-kun?  Uh… there's something important I wanted to talk you about…" Sakura said hesitantly, while playing with her hat.

"What." Syaoran responded with a disinterested tone.

"Well, you see, uh… I …" She was finding it difficult to continue, and it didn't help that Syaoran decided to lean just a little closer right at that moment.  She was starting to sweat, her face became flushed, and she started to tremble… and Syaoran was about to place his hand on her arm to comfort her, when…

Click!  The sound of a picture being taken could be heard, soon followed by a blinding flash.  "Hoeeee!  Why did you do that for!"  Sakura yelled in frustration.

"Hey, Sakura-chan!"  Tomoyo greeted her with bright smile.

"Tomoyo, why did you do that!  I was about to ask him something very important…"

"Aren't you glad I was here to capture the moment?  You look so cute today, Sakura-chan!"

"Tomoyo…" she pleaded.

"Aw, what a romantic moment!  This one is definitely going into my photo collection!"

"Tomoyo, you can't!" she squealed, as she jumped on Tomoyo in a futile attempt to recover the camera.  In the meantime, Syaoran walked away, wearing a funny expression on his face – there went her chance.  _Urr__, wasn't today supposed to be a good day_?  _Oh, brother… _Maybe she'd get another chance to invite him at lunchtime.

School wasn't too bad, for the most part.  She did much better in that last math exam than she thought, and even earned a complement from Mizuki-sensei for her improvement.  She also had fun doing her writing assignment – which was to write an essay about what you did on White Day last year (or on any other holiday, for those who complained.).  Too bad she couldn't finish it, right when she was getting to the good part.  So she had embellished a few things here and there (Grr… Touya….) – but hey, it was her story, so she could write whatever she wanted, right?

It looked like the day was turning around, and she was already looking forward to talking to her friends at lunch.  Wait.  Wasn't she forgetting something?  That's right.  She was going to invite Syaoran-kun and Meiling-chan to spend White Day with her tomorrow.  And there they were, so she could ask them right now… oh no.  Not this!  It looked like they were fighting, _again_ – when would they ever learn to get along?  No time to worry about that now; she might not get another chance to invite them.  So she tentatively walked up to them and asked softly, "There's something I want to tell you…"

"Not now, Kinomoto-san!" Meiling snarled.  But at that moment Syaoran struggled free from her grasp, and answered, "Oh, it's you, Sakura.  What is it?"

"Well, uh… did you know that tomorrow was White Day?"

Syaoran and Meiling didn't seem to know.  Maybe there was no such thing as White Day in Hong Kong.

"Err… you see, White Day is a day when… uh…"

"Oh, White Day," someone interrupted.  It was Yamazaki Takashi, with his usual impeccable (?) timing. "White Day is a day when boys are supposed give gifts to the entire class, just like Valentine's Day," he said cheerfully.

"Really?" Syaoran asked.

"Yamazaki," Chiharu warned him from behind.

"Well, I guess not _every_ boy does it.  But that's just because they don't know how the tradition got started.  Do you want to know?"

"Yeah…" was the consensus reply.  Maybe Takashi's stories weren't always true, but they were always fun to listen to.

"It happened several centuries ago.  A samurai warrior had to go off to war, and promised his lady that he would be back as soon as he could.  So she waited for him for years, but he wouldn't come.  Finally, the war ended, and all the warriors came back, except for the samurai.  She feared for her loved one, and became very sick.  Everyone thought she was going to die."

"How sad…" Sakura sobbed.

"One night in early spring, the weather turned unusually cold, and there was a terrible snowstorm.  In the middle of the night, she passed out, and the doctor said she wouldn't make it through the night.  But by the next morning, she had miraculously recovered.  And when she opened her door, she saw her loved one from a distance, running toward her house, battling through the deep snow.  Once he came back, he spent the entire first day just waiting on her, doing whatever she asked of him.  At the end of the day, he proposed to her… and she kissed him and agreed to marry him.  He became so happy that he gave gifts to all of his friends… and that's how the tradition got started."

What a heartwarming story – one she sincerely hoped was true.  Takashi continued, "Because of that, they say that if a boy spends the day following the wishes of the girl he really likes, and she kisses him at the end of the day, they will be together forever."

"Really…" Sakura sighed.  "I wish someone would do that for me…" and she knew _who_ she was talking about – unfortunately, so did her brother.

"You mean, you actually believe that story, Kinomoto-san?" Meiling snickered, confidently staring at Chiharu.  But Chiharu herself was wiping tears from eyes, and could only mutter, "That's so sweet…"

Meiling recovered quickly, though.  She took Syaoran's arm and exclaimed, "Syaoran!  That means you get to spend all day tomorrow doing whatever I wish!  Isn't this great?  I knew we were meant to be together forever…"

 "I have to go now.  Class is about to start," Syaoran blurted out hurriedly, as he tore himself from Meiling and stomped off.   Now where did his sense of time go?  There was still a good half hour left in the lunch period.   Well.  That just meant things were pretty much settled, right?  It looked like Syaoran and Meiling were going to spend the day together, no matter how much Syaoran wanted to deny it now.  And maybe that's the way things should be.  Family should come first, after all.


	3. Part III

Tired.  That's how Sakura felt right now, as she flung her schoolbag into the ground, and fell onto the couch.  _"Sakura, why are you always running around.  Don't you ever get tired?"_  Yes, and the time was now – only, Touya never got to see her in this state.  The early afternoon hours, the short time between school's end and sunset – those times were the worst.  There was nothing to do; no one to talk to.  Even Kero would be taking his nap at this time, and _really _hated being woken up.  Unless he was playing video games in her room, of course – though in that case, he preferred to talk to the TV screen.

So there was nothing to do but to turn on the TV, and hope to see something vaguely entertaining.  Oh, no.  Pokémon.  Bleh.  Forget about TV, forget about everything, because she wasn't in the mood to do much of anything right now…

She opened her eyes.  Why had it become dark all of a sudden?  She looked at her watch, which told her the answer – it hadn't been all of a sudden, it was more like two hours.  That meant Touya should be home by now; he was given a day off from work, in anticipation of the inevitable crunch that would come tomorrow.  But he wasn't, and it was starting to get darker and darker… she turned on a few lights, but that didn't seem to help much; she could swear that she was starting to hear some funny noises…

Then there was the sound of someone kicking at the door.  "Open up!" a shout could be heard.  It figures.  That was just like Touya, doing something like that instead of ringing the doorbell like a normal person.

_Ding-dong!_  "Sakura, are you there?" asked another familiar voice.  See?  Now _that_ was the right way to do it.  "I'm coming!" Sakura eagerly responded as she opened the front door.

"Hey, Yukito!" she greeted excitedly.  "And you too," she added with a much lower voice – and for that, Touya shoved a bag into her arms and told her to take it to the kitchen.  So that's what they had been doing – grocery shopping.  It looked like Dad wouldn't be home tonight, either; Touya and Yukito often cooked dinner on the days that Dad was busy.

"Dad's not coming home tonight?  What are we having for dinner?" she probed.

A nod from Touya was the answer to the first question, and Yukito's response, "Curry," was the answer to the second.  That was good enough; she liked curry and it was really simple to make – so easy that even _she_ couldn't mess it up, is what her brother once claimed.

"What do you think," Yukito said as he took out a large chunk of meat.  "Do you think this look good?" he asked.

Raw?  Nah, no thanks.  But that didn't stop Touya from answering, "Mmmm," while openly admiring the meat.

"Isn't that – a little much for curry?" Sakura pointed out.

"Not all of it's going in the curry, you dummy."

"I'm not a dummy!" she exclaimed.  Why did he always have to say things like _that_?

"Only some of it's for curry.  Some of it's for soup, and we're going to save the rest for later.  Come on, we have a lot of work to do."  So calm, so diplomatic.  In many ways, so much like her father… sometimes she wished Yukito was her real brother, instead of this ogre who stole her food, scared her friends, and teased her all the time.

"What can I do to help?" Sakura asked.

"You can wash the rice," came a reply, but not from the person she was asking.  "Oh, and get the broom and dustpan out."

"Why?" she narrowed her eyes.

"Because you'll need it, just in case you spill the rice."

That's it.  That deserved a swift kick in the shin, Yukito or no Yukito.  But Touya had already gone to the closet and gotten the broom and dustpan, and started sweeping the floor of the dining room.  She would forgive him, for now – so instead, she smiled at Yukito as she scooped the rice and washed it – four cups of it, as usual.

Yukito was still early in the preparation process by the time she finished, while Touya was still busy mopping the floor.  It was so tempting to just watch Yukito at work, as he gracefully chopped the vegetables… _oh, snap out of it_, she told herself.  There had to be something else she could do, right?  "Uh, Yukito?" she managed, poking his back to get his attention.

"Do you want to help?  Here, you can chop the carrots," he answered with a small smile.

She watched eagerly as Yukito cut off the ends of the carrots, peeled them, and halved them… studied his motions carefully as he chopped a few chunks near the end… and went hard at work as she started to cut them herself.  She was going to get this right, no matter what it took.  Chop, chop.  No, not there; that piece was too big.  Better cut that one in half.  OK, that was a good, clean cut.  Again.  Oh, no!  A piece went off the cutting board and onto the counter – so she ran off to the sink and rinsed the piece several times.  _Let's keep going.  You can do this…_ nice.  Maybe there was hope for her after all, no matter what her brother kept saying.  It was perfect – she just _knew_ that Yukito would be pleased.  Although, it _had_ taken her a good five minutes to chop two carrots – something Touya just _had_ to bring up while she handed over the carrots over to Yukito.  That had earned him a little push, even as she swore to herself that she wouldn't go so easy on him next time.

Yukito didn't need any more help, and Touya had already set the table, so there was nothing to do but to wait.  Sakura was starting to get hungry; the aroma of meat cooking had already reached her nose, to be followed by the smell of curry.  She didn't feel like paying attention to the conversation her brother and Yukito were having – it was probably something about school, or something she was "too young to understand".  In boredom she put her face on the table and sighed, only to be scolded by her brother and told to wash up.  As she returned from the restroom and dragged herself back to her seat, she finally heard the words she'd been waiting for.  "We're almost ready," Yukito announced.

The rice had stopped steaming, so Sakura stirred the rice before scooping it for everyone – a double helping for Yukito; he always ate so much!  Yukito came with the pot of curry – oh, how wonderful it smelled.  Touya got the soup; it didn't look too bad, either.  A success.  Sakura wasn't one to sit and admire her food, so she started to dig in – only to find herself beaten to the punch, as Touya stealthily made off with a spoonful of her rice.

"That's a bit much for you, don't you think?"

"Hey!" she instinctively swung her leg wildly, and missed.  

The tension was soon lost, however; gone in the face of Yukito's gentle demeanor.  Yukito and Touya continued their conversation from before, while Sakura was thinking about her day at school.  _Yes!_  She said to herself, for finally doing well a math exam for once.  Those study sessions with Tomoyo had really paid off.  Who knew that videos about _math_ could actually be fun?  She especially liked the animation with dividing fractions – how the numbers turned upside down to go from division to multiplication.  The essay had also been fun to write, though she didn't know how she would finish it – 

"Sakura?" Yukito asked, breaking her out of her spell.  "So, what did they say?"

"Hoe?"  What was he talking about?

"Pay attention, Sakura."

"Weren't you going to invite a couple of your friends?" Yukito continued.

Oh, _that_.  "No, um – I didn't get a chance.  I don't think they can make it anyway," she fumbled.

"Did you actually ask them?"

"Look.  I don't think they're coming." she glared.

"Touch-y."

"So, Sakura, what else happened at school?" Yukito cut in.

She eagerly related the various events of the day, and told them – Yukito, actually – how much she was looking forward to tomorrow.  White Day.  That reminded her of Takashi's story, so she repeated it to them; the story of how a brave young samurai came home to his lover in the snow… hence, the title, "White Day".  Such a warm, moving story…

Which only got laughs from Touya.  "You actually believe that?  How can you be so gullible, Sakura?  Don't you know how it really got started?  The whole thing was a sham.  It was just a marketing ploy, to get people to buy more things."

No!  That meant… the tradition… a kiss… together forever… none of these things could come true.

"He's right, you know," Yukito consoled.  "But that doesn't mean that we can't do things differently.  Maybe the day will come when someone will do those things for you."

Perhaps.  They had always done things differently; she knew most people didn't celebrate White Day the way her family did.  They did this partly because it had been mom's favorite holiday… and a part of her wished that they could always maintain this tradition; a day to gather, celebrate, and honor her mother's memory.

"Yukito," she started.  "I just wish things could always be like this.  And," she swallowed before continuing, "that you will always be a part of the family."

Silence.  Had she said something wrong?  Why was everyone serious all of a sudden?

"Maybe it can happen," Yukito said slowly, staring at both Touya and Sakura, without wearing his customary smile.  "We'll see."

Immediately she felt her face growing hot – what did _that_ mean?  Was it what she thought it was?  Maybe, just maybe, there was reason to hope, even if it wouldn't happen for some time…

"So, are you going to kiss him?" came a sarcastic reply, followed by a laugh.

How dare he!  Didn't he know how important this moment was?  This time she really did kick him – _hard._  But it didn't take the pain away; she found herself crying for some reason… she had to get away; she ran to her room as fast as her feet would carry her, and slammed the door shut.

"I think you really hurt her," Yukito said quietly, after Sakura was gone.

Touya didn't need to be told – he knew.


	4. Part IV

What a miserable feeling. She _knew_ she shouldn't have taken that nap in the afternoon. As a result, she couldn't get any sleep last night; playing video games with Kero deep into the night hadn't been such a great idea, either. She was paying the price for it now. Though it was time to wake up, she felt she was still short a couple of hours of sleep. That was probably because she _was_. _Cheer up_, she told herself. _Once you make it through school, there will be a reward waiting for you_… and this reminder brought a smile to her face.

Besides, last night wasn't a total disaster. She ended up calling Tomoyo, and ended up having a really long conversation with her: first to thank her for helping her with the math exam, then to talk about what happened during dinner. Tomoyo was so understanding, assuring her that Touya was sorry for what he had said, and encouraging her to put the incident behind her and enjoy a great White Day with Yukito. The conversation was cut short when Touya knocked on the door – and he surprised her by reiterating much of what Tomoyo said; it was so rare for him to apologize to her. Yukito probably put him up to it, but did that really matter? Now only if her brother could be like that more often…

She felt a little better now, but perhaps that was partly because sleep was returning to her. It must have been, because her brother yelled at her to get up, forcefully dragged her out of her bed, and pushed her into the bathroom – who needed an alarm clock, with a brother like that? Then, being scolded by her dad for getting her uniform dirty… spilling a good deal of her breakfast… misplacing her roller blades, and having to run to school… it was NOT a good start to the day.

The only good news was that she wasn't late, although she was still breathless from the unplanned run as class started. She was really out of it today; she didn't even notice her name being called while Mizuki-sensei was taking attendance – something that _never_ happened in the past. She just was thankful that there were no tests today.

After a brief lesson – Sakura forgot what it was about; she'd have to ask Tomoyo during break – Takashi got up and went to the front of the class. What was this all about?

"Since today is White Day, I brought presents for everyone," Takashi announced. Wait. Didn't her brother say that Takashi's story was a bunch of nonsense? Then why was he doing this? He was now passing cards to each student in the class; there was one for her, also. She opened it up, and sure enough, there was a note written inside:

_Happy White Day!_

_To Kinomoto Sakura:_

_ Good luck in cheerleading club!_

_ Yamazaki Takashi_

How nice. This was definitely something worth keeping. She wondered what he wrote to others; she would have to ask her friends during break. She closed the card, looking closely at the cover – it was the picture of a snow-covered forest; Takashi was sure going all-out to back up his story from yesterday. She sighed and put the card back down, content – but this moment of peace was soon broken by a sudden commotion. What had just happened? Now Takashi was running out of the classroom. Oh, no. It must have been something awful. She was about to ask Rika what was going on, when Meiling suddenly stood up and made an announcement:

"Syaoran baked cookies last night! And he would like to share them with the class!"

Syaoran? That was a bit of a surprise. Never mind, that was typical Syaoran, she amended. Meiling probably made him do it – he could be such a pushover when it came to his cousin, though he liked to pretend that he didn't care about her. _Just like how things are between you and Touya_, was what Tomoyo once said.

The cookie was actually pretty good; it had a nice buttery flavor, and not too sweet. She had been lucky that she had been one of the first people to get one, because Syaoran ended up dropping the bag of cookies and stepping on it. Clumsy, clumsy, clumsy. Aye. It looked like she wasn't the only one having a bad day.

Mizuki-sensei decided to give the class an early break. She didn't seem to be feeling well today, either – she probably needed the break more than the class did. Hello, was _anyone_ having a good day here? Hmm. How about Tomoyo? She could always count on her best friend to give her a boost.

"Tomoyo, do you remember what we learned in class this morning?" Sakura asked.

"Sorry, I forgot." Forgot? _Tomoyo_? She _never_ forgot anything the teacher said. "So, Sakura, what do you think?" she giggled.

"Huh?" What _was_ the topic of this conversation, anyway?

"Oh, Sakura. Didn't you see what happened?"

"What?"

"It was so romantic… so cute! I wish _I_ had someone I wanted to be with forever. I think it's great that Chiharu has already found someone… oh, and did you see what Meiling did? _So_ close…and you should've seen how Syaoran reacted!"

Sakura had no idea where this conversation was heading. She was hopelessly lost, as it was.

"So, Tomoyo, are you sure you can't come along with us after school? I'm sure it's OK with Yukito," she interrupted.

Tomoyo blushed. "No, no. I couldn't ruin your wonderful _date_ with Yukito. I hope you two have a great time."

A date? Is that what it was? Maybe … it could be. What was she supposed to do on a date? She never thought of it _that_ way before. _What should I say, what should I do… wait, didn't I say that already_? It was so confusing; her head was starting to hurt. _Maybe I should invite Syaoran and Meiling again, just to make sure whether they can come or not. Wait. Didn't I already invite them? Work, come on, work!_ She hit her head in frustration, but it didn't seem to help. It was just one of those days…

_A date.__ With Yukito. White Day, a day to spend with the person you love…_ was this the start of a new tradition? Forever? That means she would have to… ooh! She didn't know whether she could bring herself to do _that_. It was so embarrassing! She would never hear the end of it from Touya, if he ever found out. _Please, clock, stop moving_… she pleaded as the day neared an end. _Wait. Hoping for the clock to stop? During school?_ The sheer absurdity of her thoughts caused her to laugh – and Mizuki-sensei was _not_ amused. "Sakura! Come see me after school," she yelled out. Jeez. Just when it seemed like the day couldn't get worse, now she had detention to worry about.

Finally the end of school came – for everyone else, that is. She had been looking forward to this day for so long… and it was turning out to be a total disaster! Someone up there must've decided to pick on her today.

"Sakura?" Mizuki-sensei croaked, once everyone had left. Boy, if she looked bad before, she looked awful now… now that the mask was gone.

"Are you all right?" Sakura asked – and as if to answer her question, all remaining color drained from Mizuki-sensei's face.

"You can go, Sakura," was all Mizuki-sensei could manage, before dragging herself out.

Sakura sighed. At least she got away with this one. Maybe her luck was starting to turn around. It better, because school was over now, and… that's right! He would be waiting for her by the school gate right now. _Yukito__… _She dashed to the front gate as fast as her legs would carry her; this was going to be a memorable afternoon, and she wanted it to start just a little sooner…

"Sakura?" Sakura heard someone call. _Syaoran__?_ Oh no, please don't tell me it's another Clow Card. Any day but today. Please…

"What is it?" she answered.

"Uh… err…"

"Did you sense another Clow Card?"

"No, it's not that. I…um…" Syaoran looked really uncomfortable. Did something bad happen to him?

"Sakura? I'm sorry I'm late. So, should we get going? Where would you like to go?"

_Yukito_! She had been waiting for this moment for days, and it had finally arrived. So many things she wanted to say, and do… and so little time to do it in. And this time, Touya wouldn't be there to mess things up.

"So, are you guys coming along?" Yukito asked Syaoran – and Meiling, who had surreptitiously made her way behind her cousin.

Syaoran covered his face and ran away as fast as he could. Sakura sighed. Syaoran was sure acting funny today – a simple _no_ would have sufficed, thank you. 

"I guess he didn't want to come," Yukito joked lamely. "Shall we go?" he asked, while placing his hand her shoulder.

"Yes!" she jumped. She was going to have the time of her life… she just knew it.


	5. Part V

A dream come true. Happily ever after. These may be wonderful things to hope for, but what is it like to actually experience them? It felt a little… odd. The day went off like a dream – too much like a dream. She remembered being here and there. The arcade. Food stand. Gift shops. Department stores. Snippets, flashes, moments. Times when she laughed. Smiles that came so naturally. Cute stuffed animals, including one that was a spitting image of Kero. The little piece of candy he handed to her. The danish that he refused to buy for her, saying that it would spoil her dinner. A high-five, after she beat the final level in Dance Dance Revolution in the highest difficulty setting. And having it all fade away in the darkness…

The spell was over. Maybe the clock didn't strike midnight, and her prince hadn't turned into a frog. But as for her… she was no longer the talking puppet; she felt more like a marionette whose strings had been cut. She was falling, and everything was turning black… and the next thing she saw was the familiar ceiling of the living room… and she found herself lying on the couch, wrapped in a small blanket. Yukito must have carried her back.

"Oh? You're up. So, did you have a good time?"

"Dad? Uh… yeah." she answered weakly.

"I made some fried shrimp for dinner. Please get up, Sakura. Let's talk about it over dinner."

And so they did, sharing stories over their meal – which included some of the curry and leftover soup from the night before. Yukito was so helpful, trying to remind her of every moment they shared, while Dad was similarly encouraging. But in the end, it wasn't enough. Nothing but blanks. Why couldn't she tell them how the day made her feel? Why couldn't she describe every little detail of the day? She couldn't… she didn't remember… it was so unfair! Why did she have to be so tired and weak and forgetful? She must've been happy; it must've been a wonderful day, she told herself. Only it was gone. All gone. A valuable treasure, hidden away somewhere – never to be found.

But then she looked up, and stared at the bright faces, wearing identical smiles… just for her… and her frustrations subsided. And there was something else… she definitely felt something. Was something important happening? Or about to happen? Just a moment ago, she had been close to tears, but a smile came so easily now… from sadness to contentment, from contentment to joy, from joy to anticipation… and then? What came next?

It seemed that Yukito somehow knew – for that was when he got up. "I brought a little present for all of you," he announced. A simple box, with silver wrapping – and inside it, a variety of white chocolates that were equally sweet to the eyes as they were to the mouth. Two pieces, and no more – she wanted the box to last as long as it could; one last memory of this wonderful day, one she was determined never to forget…

Every word seemed to mean so much more now. Dad's plans for tomorrow – the family would be going to the museum of natural history, as well as spend some time at a nearby park. The rest of the day would be dedicated to the memories of her mother – and Sakura suggested inviting Tomoyo's mother, since they had been so close in the past… an idea that was quickly shot down. Concerns about Touya – he seemed to be so "out of it" these days; surely the pressures of schoolwork, sports, and work were getting to him… especially on a day like this, when he had to work a double shift. Stories about Tomoyo, and all of the gadgets she had in her room – film and sound editing equipment; tapes and DVD's of all kinds, dolls could do everything but fly (and she would not have been surprised if Tomoyo had one that _could_). And a final goodbye from Yukito… at least until next time; there _would_ be a next time, and she was looking forward to it already. Finally, Dad's last words – "you're welcome here at any time, Yukito." She couldn't have said it any better… and as she saw Yukito wave at them as he left, she waved back and slowly closed the door.

What was the time now? 8:00PM. Almost time to go to bed – it had been a full day, and tomorrow promised to be quite an eventful day, as well. Finally, a chance to catch up on her sleep – oh, wait. She hadn't talked to Kero all day. He must be so bored, having nothing to do the whole day. She opened the drawer, where she kept Kero and the Clow Book – only to find it empty. "Kero!" she whispered loudly. Where was he?

"I'm here," Kero answered from inside the closet. Thank goodness. After getting a piece of chocolate for him from downstairs, Sakura talked to him about the day… and Kero was the ever attentive listener. He had come a long way from being the creature that could talk only about Clow Cards, and became annoyed whenever she talked about something else.

But the conversation was cut short, with a knock at the door. "Hurry! Hide!" Sakura warned. But Kero continued to sit right there, and crossed his arms. But Kero only did that when it was…

"It's me, Syaoran."

Sakura held the door ajar and peeked through. It _was_ Syaoran. What was he doing here? It was so late; if it was a Clow Card, it would've been easier to call her on the cell phone.

"What are you doing here, _Syaoran_." Kero grumbled.

"It has nothing to do with you, _Keroberos_. I wanted to talk to Kinomoto-san."

"About what?" Sakura asked.

"Keroberos, could you go outside. I need to talk to Sakura alone." It was not a request.

"If it's about Clow Cards, then I'm staying right here," Kero insisted.

"This isn't about Clow Cards. This is personal. This has nothing to do with _you_." Syaoran swatted his hand near Kero, motioning him to leave.

"Fine. But if you do anything to hurt Sakura, you better watch your back," Kero threatened, as he opened the window and flew out.

After Kero left, Sakura asked, "So, what was it that you wanted to say?"

"Um…"

"Did you want to talk about today? Where's Meiling-san?"

"She has a way with things, doesn't she? Always getting in trouble, and making a mess out of everything."

Sakura began to feel a little anxious – something wasn't right. She ventured, "Was that the reason you didn't come?"

"No."

"What is it, then?"

Silence. One that lasted several minutes. Finally Sakura asked, "It's about Clow Cards, isn't it?"

"Not exactly…"

"Li-kun, are you leaving?" Sakura finally asked – a question she had been meaning to ask for some time. She sensed that the day was coming; it was only a matter of how soon…

"What?" he paused. "Not yet. Not until all the Clow Cards have been captured."

"But you can't stay here forever. You really shouldn't..."

"No, your magic is too weak! You'll never be able to capture all of the cards by yourself. I have to stay until all of them have been captured."

"That means you could be stuck here forever," Sakura commented.

Syaoran muttered, "If it takes forever, I'll stay forever."

"Oh Syaoran…" she trailed off, while wiping off her tears. He was sitting so close; he was _right there_. He was there, yet he wasn't. At least, he wouldn't be in a very short time… the time would come when she would have to say good-bye, a _real_ good-bye… not one of those "I'm looking forward to seeing you next time" good-byes. He who had tried to beat her up the very first day they met, and insulted her at every opportunity… yet had put his life on the line to save hers in a number of occasions. A person who usually kept to himself, and ignored those around him… yet in those rare moments she had his attention, she could sense that he valued all the times they had shared, and the lessons they had learned, magic and otherwise…

Just a few months. That's all it was. An initial storm, followed by intermittent periods of sun and rain… eventually giving way to nightfall. No, more like fire and smoke. It felt like something out of the ordinary was happening, she could sense it – a force that would engulf everything in sight; leaving behind only a trail of ashes… and somewhere in the middle, she would lose sight; hoping only for the rain to arrive once more…

Hope. Wasn't that what she wanted most of all? That somehow, some way, everything would work out… only if there was some way he could stay, and be with his family at the same time… a wish… a promise… a way? A way to be together forever? Maybe, just maybe… just for this moment, the story was true, and something magical would happen if she…

_What had just happened?_ Syaoran jumped up and wiped his cheek. "I better get going," he said hurriedly, "Bye."

The sound of her door being slamming shut. A scampering of feet, as Syaoran ran downstairs. And the eerie silence that followed – it was over. Gone. Had _that_ been her final goodbye? This was not the ending she had been hoping for. Please, Syaoran. Give me a chance to explain; please listen to what I have to say…

_Syaoran__, why does it all have to come to an end? Why do things have to change? It seems too soon. Much too soon. It's not going to be the same without you. I wish I could see you again… but it doesn't always work that way. It never does. I remember saying good-bye to my best friend from first grade, when her family moved away – we promised to call each other all the time, and be friends forever. It didn't happen. I never saw or heard from her again. It was a promise that I had made with all my heart – yet it was so easily broken. That's why it hurt so much, Syaoran. Not only because I never saw her again, but because I realized just how fragile friendships could be. It's funny how someone could so mean so much to you one moment – and disappear so completely from your life the next. I didn't understand how it happened, until Dad explained it to me one evening. Here's what he told me: _

_'Sakura, always hold on to the things that are most important to you, and never forget the people who have been there for you from the beginning.'_

_It took me a while for me to understand what he meant. But eventually I realized that there were certain people in my life that meant the most to me, and could not be replaced. And as good a friend as she was, she was not one of them… I felt guilty for thinking this way, but I realized it was true. _

_Syaoran, I now understand why you acted the way you did during your first days in __Japan__. It's like being in the middle of the forest. Lost. Drifting further and further away from the people you knew, the things you valued… Eventually you found your footing, but it wasn't the same. I feel I never got to know the real you, only hints and shadows. You were here, yet you weren't. There are sides to you that remain hidden to me, parts that you will reveal only to those who are closest to you, to those who mean more to you than anything else…and perhaps that's the way things should be. I can't replace what you left behind, in __Hong Kong_

_Good bye, Syaoran. I will always remember the things you have taught me. You showed concern to even those you did not know or like, shared your knowledge and skills with others, and helped me to realize just how important family is, even when all they do is tease and annoy you. You were so helpful and generous to me. For that, I thank you._


	6. Bonus Material

I hope you had fun reading this story.  This is actually the Card Captor Sakura version of a CardCaptors story I wrote a few years back, titled "Forever".  At that point in time, I only knew about the American dub version – so I improvised a bit, based on what I knew from the cartoon.  Let's just say that things are a bit misleading… I just _knew_ there was something going on with Syaoran and Meiling.  Shows you what I know.  Later I learned a little more about the original show, Card Captor Sakura – and was surprised to find just how different the two versions were.

To be honest, my feelings about the original show are mixed.  On the whole, the original show was a lot more insightful – but disturbing, at the same time.  I tried to emphasize what I felt were its greatest strengths: the importance of family and friends, and the roles they play in the growth and development of individuals.  As for some of the more questionable content – they were mostly eliminated from this story; I just didn't feel there was a place for them.

I'll go over the changes scene-by-scene, just for fun.  Be sure to have a copy of both stories handy, so you can follow along.

**Scene I**

**Card Captor Sakura version:** 

We have a cute opening scene with the true _star_ of the show, Sakura Kinomoto.  She's thinking about White Day, which is coming up in a couple of days… and wondering what the family will do.  As it turns out, Yukito will be spending the day with her, since Touya and her dad will be busy during the day.

However, Syaoran is also on his mind, as she realizes that this will be the only time she will be able to spend White Day with him.  She makes up her mind to invite him, as well as Meiling, and share the White Day experience with them.

**CardCaptors**** version:** 

Gees, what _is_ this?  This phone conversation seems to be really out of place.  Not to mention the hack job they did on Yelan – and I thought what they did to Tomoyo was unforgivable.  In case you want to know, this lengthy phone call is from another episode – in which his mother is reminding him of his mission, and keeping a track of his progress.

The reason Syaoran is upset (in the Card Captor Sakura episode) is because he is frustrated at his mother (she can be rather insistent, after all).  He becomes embarrassed because he is ashamed at his lack of progress – he hasn't been exactly forthcoming about the fact that the cards belong to Sakura, and not to him.

**Scene II**

**Card Captor Sakura version:**

We start as Sakura rollerblades to school, still on cloud nine following yesterday night's events.  She really believes this is going to be a good day – and it is, for the most part.  But she never really does get the chance to ask Syaoran and Meiling to spend White Day with her and Yukito.  Poor Sakura, everyone misunderstands her true intentions (purposely, perhaps?).

Sakura seems to be rather gullible, but give her _some_ credit – she doesn't believe _all_ of Takashi's stories; most of the time, she just finds them interesting, and likes to listen to them.  But this story is a bit more convincing than others…

**CardCaptors**** version: **

The scene where Syaoran is looking around is, yes, from another episode – don't you think it's just a little strange for him to treat Meiling like a stalker?  In the original, Syaoran was looking around because he sensed a powerful presence – and later, we see the invisible form of a Clow Card.

Look on the bright side.  At least Yamazaki's story remains intact from the original.

**Scene III**

**Card Captor Sakura version:**

This is my favorite scene in the story.  Exhaustion gives way to joy, as Sakura, Touya, and Yukito prepare dinner and talk about the course of the day – as well as plans for the next day.  They really seem like a cohesive family unit, and Sakura wishes that Yukito was really a member of her family.  Of course, this doesn't come out quite right, and poor Sakura is misunderstood once again… or just plain teased, depending on how you look at it.

It's also apparent from this scene that Sakura's feelings toward Yukito are much deeper than a simple crush.  Maybe it's not cannon, but I think it really works in this story.

**Cardcaptors**** version:**

The scene with Syaoran and Meiling is part of the story line, though it was a late cut in the Card Captor Sakura version.  It would've been perfectly fine in the context of a TV episode, but it would have disturbed the flow of a written story.  You can imagine that this really happened in the Card Captor Sakura version – with a few edits, of course.  It explains why Syaoran brought cookies to class the next day.

I liked this scene a lot, and wished there was some way I could keep this in the original… oh well.

**Scene IV**

**Card Captor Sakura version:**

This scene remains virtually intact in both versions, but you only see it from Sakura's perspective in this version.  As a result, she "misses" much of what is going on.  She is one of the few people who can empathize with the embarrassment that Takashi and Syaoran is going through, since she went through a similar experience the night before.

Note that Sakura and Syaoran emphasize different portions of the day.  Syaoran is really self-conscious, fearful that he will make a fool out of himself in front of Sakura.  In the meantime, Sakura is going through a tough day, and only the promise of an afternoon with Yukito keeps her going.

**CardCaptors**** version:**

Didn't you think that it was strange when Yukito popped out of nowhere?  Well, in the Card Captor Sakura version, this was all explained in Scene I, and reiterated in Scene III.  It was a _planned_ meeting – not just something out of the blue.

Another big difference is that you get to see a lot more of what is going on, and get to see a lot more of the Syaoran/Meiling relationship.  Probably the most entertaining one, in my opinion… she really knows how to push _all_ of his buttons.

**Scene V**

**Card Captor Sakura version:**

In many ways, this scene is a repeat of scene I – and the two function as bookends that hold the middle parts together.  Note both scenes starts with Yukito in the foreground and ends with Syaoran.  And it doesn't look like much has changed – this story could be seen as one big loop, if you choose.

But one thing keeps the story from going in a complete circle.  Syaoran and Meiling will be leaving soon – and Sakura is preparing herself to say goodbye to them, for good.  It's inevitable, as far as Sakura is concerned.  The last thing she wants to do is to separate Syaoran from his family – and this desire is ultimately stronger than whatever feelings she may harbor for him.

**CardCaptors**** version:**

No!  Absolutely unforgivable!  Just a few minor edits are enough to give you a very misleading impression.  Gees, what do they have against the S&S pairing, anyway?  Do they really want Syaoran to end up with his cousin?  Oh, that's right.  They're not cousins in CardCaptors.

Instead of gaining insight on Sakura's big heart, we instead are hit with a huge dose of Syaoran's angst.  You tell me, is this a fair trade?  Look on the bright side.  At least Syaoran ends up with somebody in this version – he seems to get the shaft in the Card Captor Sakura version.


End file.
